


Flow

by ohmybeatingspark



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Blank Period, Childhood Friends, F/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:27:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22879474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohmybeatingspark/pseuds/ohmybeatingspark
Summary: "We can hold backneither the coming of the flowersnor the downward rush of the stream;sooner or later,everything comes to its fruition." -Li Qing-yun.A multi-chap fic about the life of Tenzin and Lin Beifong, from their childhood, to adulthood. From their friendship to a romantic relationship, to the death of Aang, Pema coming into Tenzin's life, and the breakup of Tenzin and Lin. Tags will be updated accordingly as the story moves along.
Relationships: Lin Beifong & Tenzin, Lin Beifong/Tenzin, Pema/Tenzin (Avatar)
Kudos: 18





	1. A Teacher Looking For His Disciple

**Author's Note:**

> I have been looking for you, my child,  
> Since the time when rivers and mountains still lay in obscurity.  
> I was looking for you when you were still in a deep sleep  
> Although the conch had many times echoed in the ten directions.  
> First four lines of, “A Teacher Looking For His Disciple”, by Thich Naht Hanh.
> 
> For every chapter, I will feature poems by Buddhist or Taoist poets. This fic is something I hope to not lose motivation for as I have not found any Blank period fics of the relationship between Tenzin and Lin. 
> 
> Most of my inspirations/timeline ideas are from this post on tumblr: https://lokgifsandmusings.tumblr.com/post/132801257438/on-linzin
> 
> (I own the right to the original expression of this fanfic, and DO NOT own the right to the series or characters written in this fanfic.)

Lin was five and Tenzin was six. Childhood was easy at their age. When school was done for the day, and they completed their difficult homework of learning how to write characters, Tenzin would go to the Beifong’s. Lin’s smile grew ear to ear whenever she would hear a knock at the door. She knew it would be Tenzin coming over to play with her. Katara would drop him off and talk to the ayi for a few minutes before leaving Tenzin there to play. Lin would grab Tenzin’s hand and drag him inside the house to play hide and seek or to listen to the new radio show for children.

  
He promised her at school, like always, that he would come over after finishing his homework. However, today there was no knock at the door for her. Lin looked outside the window of her bedroom to the front yard. She saw her mom coming home earlier than she expected with her arm linked with an unknown man. The man started to kiss her mom passionately, and Lin’s eyes grew wide and glanced back at her homework laying on her desk.

  
“Gross mom, that’s icky…” she sighs. She started thinking about her unknown father. Her mom still refused to answer her whenever she asked about her dad. Toph was now kissing a man that Lin never met there was a slight possibility he was coming over. She heard the front door open and then slam shut, prompting her to go downstairs to see if the man was with her mom.

  
“Yu Ayi! I’m home! You can leave earlier today. Lin! Come downstairs! I know Tenzin isn’t here.” Toph shouted loud enough for Lin to hear. Her mom sounded like she was in a good mood and Lin was not that surprised. A six-year-old may not know why people kiss, but she could guess that man kissing her mom made her feel happy.  
Lin ran down the stairs and gave her mom a hug.

  
“Hi Miss Beifong, welcome home. Dinner is already prepared. I will take my leave first and will see you tomorrow,” Yu Ayi bowed her head and went to the front door to put her outside shoes on and left.

  
Toph smiled at her daughter and Lin smiled back despite her mom not being able to see the smile on her face. However, she frowned, “Tenzin didn’t come over today like he said he would.” Toph frowned, “Well, there is always tomorrow, sweetie. Anyways, I bought your favorite egg tarts from Mrs. Wong on my way home. I know it’s been a while since you’ve had them.”

  
Lin’s smile grew bigger and she took the bag full of egg tarts and was about to eat one of them.

  
“Not yet, I have something to tell you.” Toph walked over to the living room and sat down with Lin. The youngest Beifong looked at her mom and tilted her head.

  
“What is it?”

  
“How would you feel about being a big sister?” Toph asked her.

  
“What? Really?! I’m going to be a big sister?!” she started squealing and then began to jump up and down.

  
“Yes, your brother or sister will be here in a few months. I thought I should tell you so you don’t freak out when I bring home a random baby.” Toph shrugged her shoulders. She only wanted to tell Lin for that reason only. Another kid meant time off of work and she didn’t know how she could do that again.

  
“Mom, where do babies come from?” Lin asked sweetly.

  
“Haha! You’re too young, kid. Some other time, kay? By the way, I signed you up for Earthbending classes. You will start them next week after school at Diqiu School. The teacher there is a buddy of mine. Gotta make me proud, kid. I can't teach you bending right now with a new baby brother or sister. Work is also giving me major stress.”

“But mom…Tenzin and I play with each other after school! And I was waiting for you to teach me!” Lin started to cry. She just discovered her ability to Earthbend the week before, telling her mother as soon as she came home from work. Toph was so excited to teach Lin everything she knows, but because of work and another baby on the way, she couldn't commit to it.  
But, Lin still couldn’t help but think of Tenzin missing their playdate. Why didn’t he come? She should feel excited about becoming an older sister, but she couldn’t help but think that Tenzin lied to her. "Oh quit crying! You're lucky enough to get any formal Earthbending training from a real teacher! Do you know how many street rats that bend don't know the traditional form?" Toph's words made Lin stop sobbing. Lin knew her mom wouldn't like her to keep crying. She still couldn't stop thinking about Tenzin breaking his promise.

  
~*~

  
He thought he was just like his older brother Bumi and Uncle Sokka; a non-bender. Tenzin was working on practicing characters when he felt a tickle up his nose. Naturally, he sneezed when he was able, but this time, it was different. He flew through the roof of his bedroom and nearly face-planted on the wooden floor. Tenzin quickly got to his feet and opened the door to his room. Even though the island he lived on was full of people, it was still quiet whenever Kya and Bumi were not in the vicinity of where he was. It was too quiet and he usually enjoyed that. He was panicking. Tenzin didn’t know if he should run to his mother or wait for his father to come home. He opted to talk to his mom first, and shouted for her.  
“Mamaaaaa!”

  
Katara was in the gardens practicing her waterbending with Kya. Kya looked at Katara as they both heard Tenzin calling for Katara. Katara dropped the water and ran towards the direction of Tenzin’s room, with Kya behind her. They both got to Tenzin’s room and found him on the floor next to his desk, trying to pick up wood that fell from the ceiling.

  
“Tenzin? What happened?” Katara looked at the pile of wood her son was trying to pick up and then looked up at the ceiling. She covered her hands with her mouth, “Oh my spirits…how did this happen??”

  
“Mama…I just airbended.” Tenzin didn’t look at his mom. He knew what this meant by admitting it and the proof in his room; his life is going to change. It was a matter of time.

  
“Oh, honey! That’s so great! Your father is going to be so happy!” She ran to pick him up and hugged him tight.

  
“Can I still go to Lin’s?” he asked softly.

  
“Not today, we have to wait for your father to get home. He is going to be so excited!”

  
Kya still stood at the entrance of Tenzin’s room, just staring at the mess on the floor and Tenzin being held by their mother. Bumi came running with a pair of nunchakus in his hand, ready for a fight.

  
“What’s going on? Is Tenzin hurt?? I promise to protect my family from alien invaders!” Bumi did some movement with the nunchakus before hitting himself in the forehead. Kya rolled her eyes at her older brother.

  
“Bumi, aliens don’t exist. And Tenzin is fine. He just airbended,” Kya gazed at the hole in the ceiling. Bumi’s eyes bulged out of his head.

  
“You’re serious?! Little brother, that’s great! Dad’s going to be so happy!” Bumi clapped his hands, throwing his nunchaku at the wall behind him. He winced when he looked back and saw a hole in the wall behind him. Kya shook her head.

  
“What about the mess I made? I’m sorry, Mama.”

  
Katara touched her son’s cheeks. “It’s fine, we can take care of it later. I want to do something special for your father for dinner. I’ll send a hawk to him asking if he can come home earlier. I was thinking of some tempura and curry for dinner, how about that?”

  
Kya and Bumi couldn’t get used to their father’s vegetarian diet, but they enjoyed vegetable tempura whenever they had it. Katara tried to have her children eat as healthy as they can.

  
“Yay! Can’t wait! Tag, you’re it, Kya!” Bumi touched Kya’s arm and ran off.

  
“Hey! Come back here!” Kya ran after her older brother, leaving behind Katara and Tenzin.

  
“Mama, I’m scared.”

  
Katara looked at him, “Why is that, my son?”

  
“I know Baba will be happy, but I don’t want to disappoint him. I’m the second Airbender in the world and I don’t want my life to change.”

  
Katara hugged Tenzin closer to her before looking at him, “The spirits graced you with the ability to bend air and that’s something to be proud of. Your father will be ecstatic to know this news and he will finally be able to pass down his teachings to you. We love you, my son.”

  
When Aang came home for dinner, he was tackled by Bumi and Kya, their voices filling his ears. Tenzin sat at the dinner table waiting for his father to come eat dinner. Aang had picked up Tenzin and hugged him tightly against his chest.

  
“Baba… I can’t breathe….” Tenzin’s voice was muffled by Aang’s orange clothes. Soon, tears fell down Aang’s face and he looked at his son.

  
“I’m going to teach you everything there is to know about our culture. From Airbending to the history of our people.” Aang grinned and couldn’t help but keep smiling.

  
Tenzin beamed back at Aang.

  
“Daaaaaaad! I’m hungry! I wanna eat!” Bumi was growing impatient. Kya sat silently sipping on hot water.

  
“Let’s eat! I’m going to tell you a great Airbender tale today. This one is exciting, I promise!” Aang picked up his spoon and started eating dinner with his family. Tenzin listened intently to his father, knowing he needed to hear this story because it was his job to tell the next generations of Airbenders after him.


	2. Only a Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin Beifong confronts Tenzin about why he didn't come over. Aang and Tenzin are practicing airbending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before the mountain and by grace  
> of nature  
> I was allowed to realize "Oh!  
> I am only a child!"  
> Tendered by spruce and birds  
> I saw without my usual defenses  
> and endless thinking I know  
> anything or everything  
> coming between me  
> and creation.  
> -Myochi Roko Sherry Chayat, 1990  
> Butsumon - The Gate of the Buddha, Vol. VI, Spring 1990, pp.15
> 
> The reason I bring up studying for "characters" often is because in written Chinese, the average educated person in China can read 8,000 characters. There are 50,000 characters. The studying of written Chinese begins as early as five years old and they don't stop learning until maybe after high school. Plus, within the ATLA/LOK universe, traditional Chinese characters are used, not simplified. Therefore, more strokes to remember for writing.

Lin went to school the following morning expecting to see Tenzin at the front gate, but he wasn’t there. She stood there waiting for him just until the first bell rang and then ran to class. Even though he was a year ahead of her, they would talk together before heading to their classes. It wasn’t like him to forget to come over the day before and then also miss school the following day. Tenzin would always joke about how he was healthy as an ostrich horse since his mom would heal him and Bumi after they would do some wrestling. According to Tenzin, Bumi wanted to wrestle Tenzin every week for a rematch because despite Tenzin being smaller than Bumi, he would always win. 

She didn’t know what to do. Her mom wasn’t going to bring her to Air Temple Island anyway because she was working late. Yu Ayi would be at the house when Lin would get home and it would be near impossible to convince her to bring her to the island. So, she thinks the only option is to sneak out. The Beifongs didn’t own a telephone yet because Toph felt no need for one anyway since she couldn’t operate it correctly. 

Lin decided to sneak out after finishing her homework after getting home. She hated her homework and wished it could write itself. The writing system is starting to irritate her and each new character becoming bulkier and bulkier with up to fourteen strokes or more. It was starting to get impossible to remember. Sun Laoshi, her language teacher, began to pass out the previous dictation quizzes they had yesterday and shook her head. Lin got a ten out of twenty-five correct. The failure in front of her made her sink into her chair and look down. Her mom wasn’t going to care anyway because Toph can’t read. 

“Now, listen up everyone! On Friday we will have an exam with all the characters we’ve learned from Monday to Thursday. I know some of you had some difficulty, but I believe you all can pass. Now, who wants to read the text on page eighty-five?” Sun Laoshi looked at Lin and smiled.

“Lin, how about you read the first paragraph?”

Lin sat up straight in her chair and looked at the textbook in front of her and began to read out loud. She knew it was going to be a long day today.

Several hours later, after she finished school and her homework, she snuck out of her window and landed softly on the grass below. Lin smirked, thinking how easy it was to sneak out and avoid Yu Ayi. But she frowned when she realized that Yu Ayi will probably check on her and call her down for dinner in about a half hour. She shook her head and focused on getting to Air Temple Island. Lin needed to know why Tenzin broke his promise and if she had to punch him to get answers, she definitely would.

Trying to convince the Air Acolyte to let her go to Air Temple Island was not easy. Lin knew she was young, but she needed answers. Her convincing eventually came through after telling the Air Acolyte that Toph Beifong told her it was okay to come visit. The boat ride was about twenty minutes and the dusk sky began to fall. It’s blue and purples causing her to become sleepy. She didn’t know how Tenzin was able to get to school on time when he lived on the island. Guess it helps that his father is an Airbender and mother is a Waterbender. His parents chose the school because his siblings went there. Lin enrolled because the school was becoming the highest-ranking public school in Republic City. 

After arriving, she looked around to the direction of the main building that housed the Avatar’s family and started to head that way. When she arrived at the building, she knocked on the big door. An unknown female air Air Acolyte opened it, surprised to see Lin there.

“Oh Miss Beifong, please come in. If you’re looking for Tenzin, he is meditating with the Avatar. They should be back soon.” 

Lin nodded her head, took off her shoes and stepped up onto the raised flooring. She followed the air acolyte into the main waiting area of the building. Lin sat down on some fluffy pillows and waited. Kya passed by and then did a double take, making sure she wasn’t seeing things.

“Oh! Hi Lin! If you’re looking for Tenzin, he’s in the gardens with dad. They were mediating and now I think they’re practicing airbending.” Kya came in now to sit down with Lin.

Lin Beifong raised her eyebrows, “What?! What do you mean practice airbending?” 

Kya’s eyes grew big and then looked down, “Oh yeah, that’s right, you didn’t know. We all just found out yesterday. It just happened.”

Lin looked at the ceiling, “Oh, I see.”

“I’ll go look for him and Dad to let them know you’re here.” Kya uncrossed her legs and stood up, walking now to exit the room.

“Thank you, Kya Jiejie.” Lin smiled softly.

“No, problem! Oh, and you can just call me Kya. No need to call me Jiejie,” Kya looked back and grinned.

~*~

“Now, Tenzin, this is a step that will help you learn how to control the air currents around you. Just watch me and then you’ll be able to get it.” Aang said while doing some classic Ba-gua steps, holding his hands in front of him, pushing some air currents towards Tenzin. Tenzin followed the same form as his father, controlling the air with ease. His stomach suddenly grumbled, which caused Aang to laugh.

“I think it’s time for dinner. I’m starving too. Enough training today, we will start again when we arrive at the Southern Air Temple.” Aang put his right hand on Tenzin’s shoulder.

“Baba, when do you think we’ll come back to Republic City?” Tenzin enquired sadly.

“We’ll talk about it later. Let’s go see what is for dinner!” Aang changed the topic fast. He knew that Tenzin didn’t want to leave the city just yet, but Aang was ready to train his son. The Avatar had already prepared his leave from the City Council to train Tenzin. He took care of preparations in the morning when Tenzin was still asleep. The young Airbender didn’t realize that it could be months until he could come home again.

“Dad! Tenzin!” Kya shouted for them. She eventually found them walking up the hill up to the main house. 

“Hey, sweetie. We were just coming back for dinner. Is everything ok?”

Kya ignored her father and looked at her brother, “Tenzin, you have a guest. Lin is waiting for you in the main seating area.” 

Tenzin beamed, “Really?! Baba, can Lin have dinner with us?” 

“Well, I guess since she’s here. Kya, is Toph here?”

Kya shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t think so. I didn’t hear Auntie Toph’s loud voice, so I think it’s just Lin.”

They all walked inside and Tenzin greeted Lin with a smile while standing at the doorway.

Lin got to her feet and scampered over, punching him in the right shoulder.

“Oww…Lin, why did you do that??” 

“You know why! You broke your promise…and you didn’t come to school today.” She frowned, folded her arms and looked away.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry. It’s really a long story.” Tenzin rubbed his shoulder with his left hand.

“Kya already told me.” She looked down, her eyes not daring to look at Tenzin.

“Hi, Lin! It’s been a while! Is your mom here?” Aang interrupted their conversation.

“Hi Uncle Aang…no, my mom isn’t here. Only me.”

Aang raised an eyebrow, “Does she know you’re here?” 

Lin didn’t say anything for a few moments before mumbling out a “no”.

“Lin! You didn’t ask your mom if it was okay for you to come? What about Yu Ayi?” Tenzin’s face grew red as a tomato. When Tenzin gets mad, he gets mad. Even though Toph wasn’t that strict, everyone knew that this wasn’t good for Lin to sneak out of the house. Toph wouldn’t care much, she would probably laugh and bring up how she ran away at her age to play with badger moles.

“It’s fine! I’ll go home after dinner.” She crossed her arms close to her chest, frowning now.

Aang shook his head, “Your mom is going to kill me… I’ll phone her at work to see if she’s still there.” He began walking to the kitchen and picked up the telephone to call the police station. Tenzin and Lin were in the dining room, waiting for Aang to get off the phone.

“This is the Avatar, is Chief Beifong there? She is? Perfect, I need to talk to her. Yes, it’s kind of an emergency. Can you please put her on the phone?” Aang waited for a few moments, tapping his left fingers on the counter near the phone.

“Twinkle Toes?! What do you want!” she screeched. Aang moved the phone away from his ear a bit.

“Yeah, Toph, I wanted to tell you that Lin is here on the island. She’s having dinner with us and then we’ll bring her home.” 

“Finally Yu Ayi will stop spazzing out like a penguin-seal about losing my daughter. She came here about ten minutes ago screaming about how she can’t find Lin.”

“Just wanted to let you know.”

“Well, thanks for interrupting me at work, Twinkle Toes.” 

Aang sighed, “Can you stop with the Twinkle Toes? I’m getting older, Toph.” 

“Nope, never. Later, gator.” She tried to hang up but missed the phone and Aang could still hear her on the other line and complaining about how phones are stupid. He hung up the telephone and walked into the dining room.

“Everything is fine, let’s eat dinner! I’m starving! Tenzin and I were spending the morning mediating and then practicing some airbending.” Aang picked up his chopsticks to grab some spicy tofu.

Lin grabbed her chopsticks and grabbed some potatoes and put them in her rice bowl. She was staring awkwardly at Tenzin, but looked away when he caught her gaze.

“Are you coming back to school tomorrow?” She asked in a soft voice, almost mumbling.

Tenzin put his chopsticks on top of his rice bowl.

Aang observed the situation between his son and Lin Beifong and smiled, “Ah, Lin. Tenzin is to leave tomorrow with me to the Southern Air Temple. He began his formal Airbending training.” 

“Oh,” was all that Lin could say. She knew she had to try to handle her emotions because if she grew angry, it could be a loss of face for her and as well as her mother. 

Tenzin picked up his chopsticks again and started grabbing some bean sprouts in a small bowl in front of him.

“I’ll be back soon! And I’ll write to you all the time! After all, I am still doing my schooling while away.” 

“Promise me!” Lin slammed her hands on the table, looking at Tenzin with keen eyes. Aang laughed, “I will make sure he writes to you.”

“I have no other friends. They’re all scared of me because of my mom. Please promise you will write to me.” She frowned.

“I promise! After all, I have to practice too!”

Aang flew Lin back to her home that night without Tenzin. She scrambled back to her room to do some late-night studying. Those characters were not going to learn how to write themselves. Toph sat with Aang in the living room, each drinking a cup of tea. 

“So, your youngest is an Airbender? This sudden change of events has really troubled my kid, ya know?” Toph said before sipping a cup of her tea.

“Yes. And you probably heard, I’m leaving tomorrow with him. We will be back in a few months. If you have any serious cases, don’t hesitate to contact me.”

Toph cackled, “Ha! The gangs of this city will fear Toph Beifong, the Chief of police! I got it under control, Twinkle Toes!”

“…you’re never going to stop calling me Twinkle Toes, aren’t you?” 

“Never.” She grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sun Laoshi 孙老师 Teacher Sun.  
> Jiejie姐姐 means older sister

**Author's Note:**

> Ayi 阿姨 is someone who usually takes care of kids or cleans houses in China. They're a hired service.  
> Diqiu 地球 means Earth.
> 
> The egg tarts from Mrs. Wong is based on Margret Wong, the wife of Andrew Stow. They both had opened a bakery in Macau and sold Macau style egg tarts. Later they sold the egg tart recipe to KFC. (I SWEAR THEY ARE THE BEST EGG TARTS EVER.(
> 
> I will use a lot of Chinese words throughout this fic but will put what they mean at the end.
> 
> edited February 7th, 2021


End file.
